Ore-separating machine.



H. H. THOMPSON & A. E. DAVIES.

ORE SEPARATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. I3. |915.

Patented May 1, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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H. 11.1110MPS0N 1 A. E. DAvlEs.

ORE SEPARAHNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION man ocT.13. 1915.

,224,580. Patented May/1,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. H. THOMPSON & A. E. DAVIES.

DRE'SEPARATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. la. 1915.

Patented May 1, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

entren sanrns rarrnwr ernten.

HERBERT HUBAND THOMPSON, 0F ALDRIDGE, AND ALFRED EVAN DAVIES, OF HOCKLEYHEATH, ENGLAND.

ORE-SEPARATING- MACHINE.

Application led October 13, 1915.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HERBERT HUBAND THOMPSON, subject of the King ofGreat Britain. residing at Meadowside, Aldridge,

Staffordshire, England, manager, and AL- FRED EVAN DAvms, subject of theKing of Great Britain, residing at Abbey Farm, Hockley'Heath,Warwickshire, England, secretary of a limited company, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Ure-Separating Machines, of whichthe following is a specication.

This invention comprises improvements in magnetic ore separatingmachines and relates particularly to means whereby the Separation of oremay be carried out in a much simpler and more effective manner than ispossible with present machines. It is applicable to separatingmaterials, which vary in the degree of their magnetic permeability fromeach other and from non-magnetic substances.

The invention relates to ore separators of the type having an armaturerotating adj acent to the ore carrier and to stationary pole pieces sothat the ore is subjected to the magnetic influence of the armaturewhich separates the magnetic from the nonmagnetic particles.

One of the objects of the invention is to effect a preliminaryseparation of the more highly magnetic material, such as iron on thesame machine for dealing with the feebly magnetic and more valuableores. Another object is totreat materials of different magneticpermeabilities on the same armature disk by the simple bodily adjustmentof the disk.

Other objects and novel features are more particularly set out hereafterand in the appended claims.

On the drawings- Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a simple form of theinvention.

Fig. 2. is an elevation of a machine made in accordance with theinvention.

Fig. 8. is a plan of same.

Fig. 4f. is a sectional view of a suitable construction of diskarmature.

Fig. 5. is an enlarged sectional view show- Specication of LettersPatent.'

Patented May 1, 1917.

SerialiNo. 55,618.

ing our method of mounting the armature spindle for vertical and angularadjustment.

Fig. 6. is a plan of Fig. 5.*with the driving pulleys omitted.

In the embodiment of the invention in its simplest form represented bythe diagrammatic view at Fig. l. an iron disk a is mounted horizontallyupon a vertical shaft b which is mounted in suitable bearings. Thisvertical shaft Z) can be driven by any suitable means and at anyconvenient speed according tothe nature of the material to be treatedand to other conditions. The armature a is adapted to rotate slightlyabove two opposed pole pieces c cl of suitable shape at theirextremities and niagnetized by a strong electric current and a rheostatis preferably provided for varying the degree of magnetization of thepole pieces. yThe pole pieces may be beveled at their upper surfaces soas to produce a nose or ridge e which forms the part of the pole piecenearest to the disk armature a this formation serving to concentrate themagnetic lines `of force at the nose or ridge of each pole piece andthereby to render the magnetic iniuence of the adjacent portion of thearmature more intense. The effect of the magnetization of the polepieces is to induce a strong magnetic field running diametrically acrossthe disk from one .edge to the other and the intensity of this magneticfield is increased or concentrated at the edge of the disk by making thedisk tapered toward its periphery. The magnets may be mounted so thattheir pole pieces may be adjusted to vary the distance between them.

A slight distance above the two pole pieces and traveling in a directionfrom one pole to the other is an endless band f upon which thegranulated material to be treated is delivered by suitable means, suchas a hopper or funnel the outlet from which is controlled by a needlevalve or other suitable device. This traveling band, which is nar'-rower than the diameter of the rotating armature is spaced away from thepole pieces to suit the requirements of the material to be treated andpasses between the pole pieces and the rotating armature. The armatureis preferably adjustable so that the distance between the bottom surfaceof the disk a, and the traveling band f, may be adjusted to suitrequirements. In some cases this distance may be reduced to onesixteenth of an inch or less7 or it may be increased considerably beyondthis amount, according to the nature of the material to be separated andthe conditions governing the treatment thereof.

rlroughs or chutes are arranged at suitable positions below theperiphery of the armature disk on each side of the traveling bandl intowhich the grains or particles of magnetic material picked up by thearmature are dropped when carried around out of the zone of influence ofthe pole pieces.

As shown a second disk armature g is mounted in advance of the main diska the disk g being magnetized by induction from the nearest pole piece cof the magnet., This preliminary disk g 'should preferably be adjustablevertically and also horizontally so that its distance from the band andfrom the pole pieces may be varied.

The function of the disk g is to effect a preliminary separation of thehighly magnetic substances such as iron7 magnetite, etc.,

which it is desirable to remove before the more valuable and slightlymagnetic materunning in bearings carried by two parallel frame bars m. Aball thrust bearing is preferably providedtc take the pull of themagnets upon the armatures.

The belt f is operated by a-.belt or equivalent driving a variable speedpulley m on the spindle n of the belt pulley j before referred to. Theother end ofthe spindle n is provided with a variable speed pulley orcone pulley o from which is driven the pulley p on a cross shaft g. Uponthe shaft g is a flange pulley r from which a half crossed belt drivesthe flanged pulley s on the spindle ZJ to enable that spindle to berotated at various speeds. The spindle Z may be driven from the spindleZ over pulleys Z and u and it may be desirable to drive the spindle Zfaster than Z1 so that centrifugal force facilitates the removal of themore magnetic material from portions of the armature g as they pass theneutral Zone.

On each side-of the belt f an inclined side bar such as e is providedpreferably of nonmagnetic material and to these bars suitable collectinghoppers or pans are secured on each side adjacent to the armatures a andg to receive the magnetic material that falls off when the portion ofthe armature to which it is adhering passes out of the immediate fieldof the magnet pole pieces.

If desired the side bars o may be mounted by an adjustable frame w tothe pillars m of the main frame and can be raised and lowered by suchmeans as the screw g/ at each end. On this frame w we may mount rollerse below the belt f so that by slacking the belt by adjustable screwsc'and raising the frame by screws g/ the ore carrying belt f and thebars fu carrying the hoppers are simultaneously raised from the magnetpoles.l

By this means the distance of the ore carrier from the magnets may bereadily adjusted while the adjustment of the spindle b and Z varies theheight of the armatures a and g from the material on the belt.

F or the adjustment of the spindles vertically a sleeve z' surroundingeach spindle may be raised by the screws 2 when the clamp 3 of thebearing plate has been slackened to release the sleeve and permit it tomove vertically. To adjust the spindles slightly at an angle to thevertical nuts 5 (Fig. 6) are slackened and the pins 6 adjusted toimpinge on the plate 7 and tilt the bearing plate on its hinge 8; thenuts 5 being tightened up again to maintain the angle.

It will be observed that in this example shoes are shown on the magnetpole pieces and a pin and slot connection 7 is shown which will permitof the adjustment of the distance apart of the shoes instead of adjusting the magnet poles bodily on the frame as before set forth.

In operation (for instance with Wolfram ore) after the electro-magnetsare energized, the armature or armatures is or are rotated and theendless traveling band f put in motion, the crushed ore being fed on tothe latter at a convenient speed. The band firstpasses under thesubsidiary armature which separates the highly magnetic materials suchas iron7 this being dropped into suitable receptacles when (owing to therotation of the armature bringing the corresponding portion of itsperiphery out of the magnetic field) the magnetic influence on theparticles has weakened, or ceased. The particles remaining on the bandthen consist of non-magnetic particles (such as silica) and slightlymagnetic ore particles. As soon as the-se latter come adjacent to theedge of the periphery of. the main rotating armature they are attractedon to the same and are taken out of the zone of magnetic influence,being ultimately dropped off from the said edge or under surface of thearmature into one or other' of the troughs or chutes, according to thedirection of the rotation of the armature. If any of the particles failto be attracted to the armature at the first node or region of influencethey will on passing the aXis of the armature be subjected to the actionof the armature at the second node or region of influence and beattracted to the edge or under-surface of the armature at that point andbe carried away and dropped into the other chute or receptacle. Forfeebly magnetic material of a fine character or which has been reducedto dust if there is any tendency to adhere to the armature, brushes orwipers may be provided for its removal. The particles which remain willpass on and be delivered into a further receptacle for the non-magneticmaterial, silica etc.

Thus it will b'e seen that according to our invention the separatingapparatus is greatly simpliiied and we have found in practice that theeiiiciency of the apparatus is very high.

If it is desired to separate materials which vary in the degree of theirmagnetic permeability from each other and from nonmagnetic substances,we provide along the traveling band a series of rotating arma tures,each at a certain distance from the band and under a certain magneticinfluence so that materials, for example of the first degree ofpermeability will be acted upon by the first armature and separated;materials of the second degree of permeability will be acted upon by thesecond armature and accordingly separated; and so on, any suitablenumber of armatures and pole pieces being provided.

Or with the same object in view we may arrange the disk armature so thatits surface is at an angle to the ore carrier instead of parallelthereto so that two fields of different intensities are set up, and thesame disk will deal with material of two different magneticpermeabilities.

The section of the armature may also be varied considerably in order toconcentrate the magnetic influence at the portion of the edge thereof inthe magnetic field, and as an example we have shown in section at Fig.4. a disk with a concave under surface instead of a plane surface.

We claim:

1. In a magnetic separator, the combination of a main rotary diskarmature, a car rier moving beneath the same, a pair of magnet polesunder the main armature and below said carrier, a preliminary separatingdisk armature in advance of said main armature and located within theregion of influence of a magnet influencing said main armature, saiddisk armatures having their faces toward said carrier, and means forrotating both of said armatures to carry attracted material from themagnetic fields.

2. A magnetic separator comprising in combination an electric magnet amain rotary disk armature arranged above and within the influence ofsaid electro-magnet, a carrier for the materials to be treated, saidcarrier being less in width than the dialneter of the armature andtraveling through the space between said armature and said magnet, and asecond rotary disk armature in advance of said main armature and locatedwithin the inuence of said magnet influencing the main armature, saidsecond disk armature effecting a preliminary separation of the morehighly magnetic substances from the materials to be treated, both saidarmatures having their faces toward said carrier.

3. A magnetic separator comprising in combination a main rotary diskarmature, an electro-magnet, said armature being arranged above andwithin the influence of said electro-magnet, a carrier for materials tobe treated, said carrier being less in width than the diameter of thearmature, and traveling through the space between said armature and saidmagnet, a second rotary disk armature in advance of said main armatureand located within the influence of said magnet, both said armatureshaving their faces toward said carrier, and means whereby said diskarmatures may be bodily raised or lowered to adjust their distances fromthe carrier and from the magnet.

t. A magnetic separator comprising in combination a main rotary diskarmature, an electro-magnet, said armature being arranged above andwithin the influence of said electro-magnet, a carrier for thefmaterials to be treated, said carrier being less in width than thediameter of the armature and traveling through the space between saidarmature and said magnet, a second rotary disk armature in advance ofsaid main armature and located within the influence of said magnet, saidarmatures having their faces toward said carrier, said magnet having twopole pieces, and means whereby said pole pieces may be adjusted closertogether or farther from each other.

5. A magnetic separator comprising in combination an electro-magnet, arotary disk armature arranged above and within the influence of saidelectro-magnet, a carrier for the materials to be treated, said carrierbeing less in width than the diameter of said armature and travelingthrough the space between said armature and said magnet, and means forbodily adjusting said armatureby inclining its axis so that the distancefrom the magnet in diametrically opposite portions is varied.

6. A magnetic separator comprising in combination a rotary diskarmature, an electro-magnet, said armature being arranged above andWithin the influence of said electro-magnet, a Carrier for the materialto be treated, said carrier being less in Width than the diameter off'the 'armature and traveling through the space between said armature andsaid magnet, means for bodily adjusting said armature by inelining itsaxis so that the distance from the magnet of diametrieally oppositeportions is varied, and said magnet having two poles, and means forrelatively adjusting said poles. v

In testimony whereof We aiix our signatures in presence of tWoWitnesses.

HERBERT HUBAND THOMPSON ALFRED EVAN DAVIES. Witnesses:

F. GILBERT BRETTELL, CECIL F. H. WHITEHOUSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

